SASCOC responds to Portfolio committee’s concerns

Updated: May 10, 2020

The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) acknowledges comments and concerns raised by the joint sitting of the Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture, and the Select Committee on Education, Technology, Sports, Arts and Culture at the virtual meeting held on 6 May 2020 and will respond to the questions raised in the time frames advised.

A concern raised during the meeting was SASCOC’s inability to produce financial statements. In this regard, SASCOC has been ordered to present these financial statements within seven days from date of the joint sitting. SASCOC confirms that we will meet the required deadline and submit the audited financial statements that were approved by the membership at the AGM in November 2019. It needs to be noted that SASCOC’s financial year end is 31 March. In this regard the annual financial statements for the 2019/2020 are in progress of being prepared and finalised for external audit.

Acting SASCOC president, Mr Aleck Skhosana

Of further concern to the Portfolio Committee during the joint sitting, was the lack of an elective conference for a new board. It is their view that it is desirable for the SASCOC membership to hold the Quadrennial General Meeting (QGM) even if it is conducted virtually owing to the Covid-19 lockdown constraints. Though this idea is feasible, as a National Olympic Committee we subscribe to the IOC Charter and their prescripts. As such, the IOC’s view, while not prescriptive, discourages the hosting of a virtual elective conference having further noted the challenges experienced during the nominations process.

We undertake however, to set a new date for the QGM soonest while monitoring and adhering to the Government’s announcements on regulations surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic and permitting such a gathering. In the interim we continue to fully explore the possibility of a virtual meeting.

The SASCOC leadership was to have addressed governance issues, including the employment of a new CEO and CFO after the selection of a new Board during the QGM that was scheduled to be held on 28 March 2020.

but postponed due to Covid-19. However, we assure the Portfolio Committee that the SASCOC Board is applying itself to address the challenges being faced and the issues raised by the joint sitting in order to fully comply with its mandates and meet the expectations of its membership and stakeholders.

‘I express my sincere gratitude to the Board Members and Management who availed themselves for the meeting as some of us were unable to be part of the meeting due to technical glitches connecting us to the meeting. We applaud the leadership shown in our absence during the meeting,’ said Mr Aleck Skhosana, the Acting President.

‘As the Board, we will continue to respect our government and its oversight Parliamentary Committees because without their guidance and support as a sport movement, we would be unable to achieve our mandate. We also appreciate their understanding of our autonomy as an institution where they do not interfere with our constitutional obligations,’ he added.

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